Wound Care

Learning Objectives
• Differentiate types of wounds.
• Explain the purpose of wound care.
• List important equipment needed to provide wound care.
• Perform dressing of clean and septic wounds.
• Provide care for the patient with draining wound.
• Demonstrate skill of wound suturing and irrigation.
• Apply clip and remove it when indicated.

Key Terminology
abrasion         laceration           wound
debridement   pressure ulcer
decubetus      ulcer puncture
exudates        surgical incision

The skin acts as a barrier to protect the body from the potentially harmful external environment. When the skin’s integrity (intactness) is broken, the body’s internal environment is open to microorganisms that cause infection. Any abnormal opening in the skin is a wound.

A wound is any disruption in the skins intactness. It may be accidental or intentional such as abrasion (rubbing off the skin’s surface); a puncture wound (stab wound); or laceration (a wound with torn, ragged edges). A wound may be intentional, such as surgical incision (a wound with clean edges). A wound that occurs accidentally is contaminated; intentional wounds are made under sterile conditions.